


Down for Maintenance

by The_Exile



Category: Portal (Video Game)
Genre: Community: ladiesbingo, Dark Comedy, Day Off, Gen, Power Outage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 13:01:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20675804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Exile/pseuds/The_Exile
Summary: GLaDOS runs low on power and turns off for a day, causing more problems than it solves. Who is going to keep the lightning and doors working now? Control the temperature and oxygen recycling? Bake the cakes? Chell does her best to survive.





	Down for Maintenance

**Author's Note:**

> for prompt 1.18 tired

"We regret to inform all participants that there will be no testing today due to the central computer feeling tired and wanting a day off."

"Oh, NO, I am SO heartbroken, HOWEVER will I cope?" Chell drawled under her breath, rolling her eyes. She then gasped for breath. It was getting harder to breathe in the facility. The temperature was becoming uncomfortably high, too. 

"We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate that there is no point to your existence apart from running the tests for us," the sing-song voice of GlaDOS replied, her tone not changing with the insult. Chell swore, not having realised before now that the computer could hear her low whispers, "We will be sure to provide extra interesting tests for you as compensation once we are back online. We're thinking them for you right now, in fact."

"Why, thank you," Chell muttered despite her revelation. GlaDOS could spy on her all she damn wanted. It wasn't like it changed anything about her daily routine whether she insulted the computer and GlaDOS actually noticed or not. She only appeared to care about experiments, cake and being bitchy. 

"To tell the truth, we're running rather low on power. We tried to lessen the impact it would have on you by drawing power from inessential systems such as the air conditioning to keep the tests running. However, we still don't have enough power to operate the testing equipment to the best of our ability, so we thought it was time to shut down altogether for a day."

That explains everything, she snarled. She wondered if there were any emergency oxygen masks in the executive first aid cabinets. The ones for the regular staff were no doubt either missing to save money or actively sabotaged as part of an 'exciting' 'surprise' test. Chell wondered once again how the hell this facility, whatever it was actually supposed to be before it was taken over by a maniacal computer, ever kept itself open at all. 

"You can blame the Government for the power shortages we've been having lately. They haven't contacted us with supplies for *READ ERROR 32* years now. They're traitors like that, only interested in us when we've finished designing a new missile or neurotoxin. By the way, you and I don't officially know anything about missiles or neurotoxins. Anyway, enjoy your day off!"

"Wait," Chell gasped, "When you say you're switching off altogether..."

"I won't even leave the security cameras on - I promise - so you can have all those private conversations with your friends about things you think I don't already know. Except you won't have any friends because the cube will be powered down as well. And also you murdered it."

The cube being powered at all was news to Chell, who had always believed it was literally just a metal cube that GlaDOS had personified.

"I was more, erm, curious about the lights, the doors, the food and water supplies, any sort of life support systems whatsoever..."

"Did you not hear me when I said 'altogether'? Or do you need me to define it for you because of the brain damage I detected after the last test?" she responded, "I can't do that right now, though, because I am shutting down now. Goodnight. Sleep tight. There probably aren't any bed bugs because of the radiatio..."


End file.
